וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יִרְמְיָ֣הוּ אֶל־צִדְקִיָּ֡הוּ כֹּֽה־אָמַ֣ר יְהוָה֩ אֱלֹהֵ֨י צְבָאֹ֜ות אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל אִם־יָצֹ֨א תֵצֵ֜א אֶל־שָׂרֵ֤י מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶל֙ וְחָיְתָ֣ה נַפְשֶׁ֔ךָ וְהָעִ֣יר הַזֹּ֔את לֹ֥א תִשָּׂרֵ֖ף בָּאֵ֑שׁ וְחָיִ֖תָה אַתָּ֥ה וּבֵיתֶֽךָ׃
And Yirmeyahu said to Tsidqiyyahu, “Thus says YHWH, the God of Hosts, the God of Yisraʾel: ‘If you will indeed go out to the officials of the king of Bavel, then your life shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire, and you and your house shall live.
Morphology
- וַיֹּאמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Introduces Yirmeyahu’s speech.
- יִרְמְיָהוּ (Yirmeyahu) – Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yirmeyahu”; Notes: Prophet of YHWH, subject of “said.”
- אֶל־צִדְקִיָּהוּ (ʾel-Tsidqiyahu) – Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “to Tsidqiyahu”; Notes: Addressee of the prophecy.
- כֹּה (koh) – Form: Adverb; Translation: “Thus”; Notes: Standard prophetic messenger formula.
- אָמַר (ʾamar) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “says”; Notes: Introduces divine speech formula.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Form: Proper noun, Tetragrammaton; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The God of Yisraʾel.
- אֱלֹהֵי (ʾelohei) – Root: אלה; Form: Construct plural masculine; Translation: “God of”; Notes: Construct introducing divine epithet.
- צְבָאֹות (tsevaʾot) – Root: צבא; Form: Plural noun in construct; Translation: “Hosts/Armies”; Notes: Divine title “YHWH of Hosts.”
- אֱלֹהֵי (ʾelohei) – Root: אלה; Form: Construct plural masculine; Translation: “God of”; Notes: Second divine epithet.
- יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisraʾel) – Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: Refers to the covenant people.
- אִם (ʾim) – Form: Conditional particle; Translation: “if”; Notes: Introduces a condition.
- יָצֹא (yatsoʾ) – Root: יצא; Form: Qal infinitive absolute; Translation: “surely go out”; Notes: Intensifies the following verb.
- תֵצֵא (tetze) – Root: יצא; Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you will go out”; Notes: Condition of surrender.
- אֶל־שָׂרֵי (ʾel-sarei) – Root: שר; Form: Preposition + construct plural masculine; Translation: “to the officials of”; Notes: Governing authority.
- מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל (melekh-Bavel) – Root: מלך, בבל; Form: Construct chain; Translation: “the king of Bavel”; Notes: Refers to the Babylonian monarchy.
- וְחָיְתָה (ve-ḥayetah) – Root: חיה; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person feminine singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “then it shall live”; Notes: Refers to “your life” as the subject.
- נַפְשֶׁךָ (nafshekha) – Root: נפשׁ; Form: Noun feminine singular construct + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “your life”; Notes: Personal survival promised.
- וְהָעִיר (ve-ha-ʿir) – Root: עיר; Form: Conjunction + definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “and the city”; Notes: Refers to Jerusalem.
- הַזֹּאת (ha-zot) – Root: זה; Form: Demonstrative feminine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Refers to Jerusalem specifically.
- לֹא (lo) – Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Negates the following verb.
- תִשָּׂרֵף (tissaref) – Root: שׂרף; Form: Nifal imperfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “shall be burned”; Notes: Passive voice indicating destruction.
- בָּאֵשׁ (ba-ʾesh) – Root: אשׁ; Form: Preposition + noun feminine singular with article; Translation: “with fire”; Notes: Specifies manner of destruction.
- וְחָיִתָ (ve-ḥayita) – Root: חיה; Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “and you shall live”; Notes: Addresses Tsidqiyahu personally.
- אַתָּה (ʾattah) – Form: Independent pronoun masculine singular; Translation: “you”; Notes: Explicit subject marker for emphasis.
- וּבֵיתֶךָ (u-veitekha) – Root: בית; Form: Conjunction + noun masculine singular + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “and your house”; Notes: Includes royal household and family.